Method and apparatus for modelling a system which includes the transmission and reception of signals

1. A method of modelling a system which includes the transmission and reception of a signal, said method comprising the steps of: (i) creating a number of blocks, each block comprising a piece of program code and each block being a representation of an aspect of the system, wherein each block has at least one of a pre-defined input and a pre-defined output; (ii) forming connections between the blocks, each connection comprising a bus for transferring data between blocks, wherein each bus comprises a number of slots, each slot comprising data and an identifier of the type of data carried in the slot, and wherein the bus has the same pre-defined format such that in use blocks can be connected in different configurations without redefining the inputs and outputs of blocks; and (iii) using the resulting blocks end connections to model the system.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein each bus is of variable size.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein each bus is adapted to carry a number of different types of data.

4. A method as claimed in claim 3 wherein each slot further comprises a number of system parameters.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein each bus comprises a variable number of slots for carrying data.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein each slot is of variable length.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein at least one block is comprised of a number of other blocks.

8. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein a block comprises one or more predetermined system parameters.

9. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the system comprises a radar system.

10. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said signals are radio signals.

11. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the system comprises a communications system.

12. A method as claimed in claim 1 which further comprises the steps of: (i) representing the signal using a combination of pre-specified waveforms; (ii) transferring the representation of the signal between blocks using one or more of said buses; and (iii) regenerating the signal from the representation.

13. A method as claimed in claim 12 wherein the pre-specified waveform types comprise a pulse, a sinusoid, a constant and a distribution.

14. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the data comprises a representation of a signal.

15. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the data comprises simulation or modelling parameters.

16. A computer system for modelling a system which includes the transmission and reception of a signal comprising: (i) a memory arranged to store a number of blocks, each block comprising a piece of program code, and each block being a representation of an aspect of the system, wherein each block has at least one of a pre-defined input and a pre-defined output; (ii) connections between the blocks, each connection comprising a bus for transferring data between blocks, wherein each bus comprises a number of slots, each slot comprising data and an identifier of the type of data carried in the slot and wherein the bus has the same pre-defined format such that in use blocks can be connected in different configurations without redefining the inputs and outputs of the blocks.

17. A computer system as claimed in claim 16 which further comprises: (i) an analyser arranged t o represent the signal using a combination of pre-specified waveform types; (ii) a regenerator arranged to regenerate the signal from the representation; and wherein one of more of said buses are arranged to transfer the representation of the signal between blocks.

18. A method of modelling a system which includes the transmission and reception of a time sampled signal, said method comprising the steps of: (i) representing the signal using a combination of pre-specified waveform types, said signal being encoded to form a compact representation of it, said waveform types comprising one or more of: a pulse, a sinusoid, a constant, and a distribution; (ii) transferring the representation of the signal between blocks, said blocks comprising a piece of program code and each block being a representation of an aspect of the system; and (iii) regenerating the time sampled signal from the representation.